St. Patrick's day isn't until next Tuesday, but the celebrations and parties will begin in earnest this weekend. The day itself is to commemorate Saint Patrick, who is recognized as the Patron Saint of Ireland and represents the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

The day is celebrated by church services, wearing of green attire and the lifting of Lenten restrictions on food and in particular, drinking alcohol. Today's marketing effort around St. Patrick's day ranges from t-shirts and bumper stickers to green food and beer, which I hate....don't EVEN get me started on that!

Some Irish groups are very upset by some of the slogans and campaigns surrounding the celebration of St. Patrick's Day saying it goes too far and puts the day in a much different light than was intended, because in addition to being a cultural holiday, it is also a religious holiday and most people, at least in this country, lose sight of that fact.

The drinking of alcohol, by all accounts, was a big part of the celebration back in the day and continues today. By the way, the color actually associated with Saint Patrick was originally blue, but because people as far back as the 17th century wore green ribbons and shamrocks, the green came to represent the celebration itself.

I think it's fair to say that most people have no clue about St. Patrick, but we all celebrate our faces off because that is what we have always done as far back as the the day goes, but the question remains about the meaning of the holiday and whether or not the meaning has gotten lost over the years.

Regardless of how you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, one thing will always be true...it will be a party!!!

 

 

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